Customer Reviews

Ultralight Boatbuilding

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a good book for daydreamers or for someone looking to get started in building a small boat. The book describes construction techniques for a canoe and a small skiff. The methods described can be applied to other designs, but the information provided is not enough to actually construct either example boat.

Plans for the example boats (or for other designs) can be purchased separately.

After reading many of the 'classics' on building small boats, I relied on Hill's Ultralight Boatbuiling extensively to construct my first boat--a Chamberlain Dory Skiff in Gardner's Classic Small Craft. Hill helped resolve many of the mysteries of how to achieve tight lapstrake construction with entry-level woodworking skills and a little patience. The result was very rewarding. I created a light, seaworthy, beautiful craft that proved very durable. I used it for many years before selling it. Now I'm considering another project, but can't find my copy of Hill's book, so I'm back for another.

One caveat: the designs Hill uses in his book to illustrate his techniques are beautiful, but you'll probably need more complete plans for your first project.

This is one of two books I recommend as essential reading for anyone attempting to bulid a glued plywood lapstrake boat for the first time. The other book is "The Plywood Clinker Boatbuilding Manual" by Iain Oughtred. There are several approaches to building a plywood glued lapstrake boat, and in my opinion the technique presented in this book gives the greatest chance of producing a high quality, fair hull. This book is not a set of instructions for building a particular boat design, but rather a set of procedures for building ANY lapstrake plywood hull. It is an easy read and has lots of detailed information on tasks that are not generally covered elsewhere, such as cutting a rolling bevel. The technique of using stringers on the mold makes getting the plank shapes right a snap. If you are thinking of building a lapstrake boat, read this book first. It gives a comprehensive overview of the process and may give you the confidence you need to go ahead with the project.

If you're an intermediate to advanced wood worker Tom Hill speaks your language. His description of plywood lap strake construction truly does sound the lightest and strongest of the small boat buliding methods. If you don't like the idea of sloppy joints held together with fiberglass tape and you love the sound of a finely tuned plane you'll love this book. The section on lofting is simple, understandable and not at all scary. The tips for tool usage are inovative and fairly sure-fire. I came away knowing I could build a great boat with the plywood lap strake design described here. It is frustrating that the plans for the boats described are not included, (the plans are available from the designer who's address is listed) but anyone dabbling in just the basics of lofting could design their own boat from what is in this book. The method is challenging but not intimidating. It'll get you excited about building a boat.

This is an excellent book that teaches techniques in building glued lapstrake boats in a clear and accessible manor. There is also plenty of useful information on general woodworking techniques applied to boat building. I'm not sure where the term "ultralight" comes from, but I wish the title had been, "How to Build Wooden Boats Using the Glued Lapstrake Method."

This book has more helpful pictures than most others. Still, I wished there were more at times. However, in those cases I was able to get a mental picture from the author's exceptionally clear explanations.

I am using this book as a guide as I build my own glued lapstrake boat.

I also recommend "Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual", by Iain Oughtred. That book also has some great diagrams and pictures. Also get "Building Small Boats", by Greg Rossel, but if you are new to boatbuilding, you might want to read this book and Oughtred's first since they are slightly more accessible.

By the way, if you want to build the skiff discussed in the book, Redmond Designs is easily found on the internet by searching for "Steve Redmond Boatbuilding".

I've owned this book for several years and find it to be a very usable guide to building light and durable boats fairly quickly. Having just spent six years of occasional weekend work building a larger plywood boat, I think that Hill's approach is one of the best. He tells you all you need to know about this construction method and you don't need special skills or tools to make one. It is not at all, as one reviewer said, just an ad for Hill's plans. He does offer some that you can purchase at the back, but the majority of the book is about how to build a boat in this method -- setting up the molds, cutting and attaching the planks, etc. Overall, a very good book.

This was the first book I purchased on the topic of building clinker ply boats, and I wasn't terribly impressed. If I was building one of the two boats he describes, it would probably be more useful, but it doesn't cover anything about round bilged dinghies. It goes over a flat bottomed skiff and a round bilged but very lightly built canoe.

The author only covers one way of doing everything, and his methods usually struck me as tedious. For example, to spile a plank he clamps an entire 2'x16' sheet of plywood to his building jig and then the shape out from underneath.

I found John Brook's "Building Ellen" article in woodenboat magazine issues number #156, 157, 158 to be more helpful than this entire book. While I don't have John's book, if it's anything like the article it is probably much more useful.

I'd recommend buying Iain Oughtred's book "Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual" instead. It covers a whole variety of techniques, including Tom Hill's, and also covers a much wider variety of hull types (prams, dories, round bilges, etc).

I purchased this as a gift for my husband -- he thoroughly enjoys reading it and now is planning on building one of the boats in the near future.

Covers many of the same material as Iain Oughtred's "Clinker Plywood Boatbuilding Manual" and Paul Fisher's "Manual of Clinker Plywood Boat Construction". Hill provides good details on planking and on developing the transom when lofting. The strength of the book is in the use of ribbands for spiling and beveling the strakes. Also good on cutting gains. Of the three books, Oughtred's was the most helpful. I am a novice at boatbuilding but somewhat accomplished at general cabinetry woodworking.

Unlike some other boat-building books I've read, this one is jam-packed with relevant information. It is amazing to see how light a boat can be built at home by a DIYer. I would recommend this book to anyone who is thinking of building a small boat by themselves.